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Issue 70: July 2012
 
On stage this month

To Set the Stage

Backstage with Debra

What do you have in common with Nate Berkus, Barbara Barry and Vincente Wolf?

Would You Renovate a House You're Renting?

Save the Date

Is Gray the New "Beige"?

Hats Off to Directory Members
Donna Dazzo, Kay Keeton, Peggy Wilcox, Patricia Saponaro, Liz Murray

 

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To Set the Stage

"The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go. " - Dr. Seuss

Backstage with Debra

I don't know about you, but it seems impossible that 2012 is half over already! There are so many things I wanted to accomplish by now that I didn't get to yet.

Have you ever noticed that the things that get put off the most are the ones that seem "hard?"

In most cases, they aren't actually difficult. Really, it's just that you don't know how to do them yet, or you need more information before you can move forward.

To help you get back on track toward your goals for this year, I wanted you to be the first to know about the Staging Diva Dive Into Summer Sale starting today.

The slow summer months are a great time to learn what you need to know to have an awesome business lined up for when the kids go back to school, or your vacation ends.

summer sale

To that end, I'm making it easier than ever before for you to pick up the items you need to drive your success. You'll find answers, tips and strategies for every "stage" of a home staging business on sale right now.

In this month's newsletter you'll discover what Nate Berkus, Debbie Travis, Barbara Barry and Vincente Wolf have in common with you. You'll also learn how to avoid the worst blogging mistake most home stagers make, whether gray is the "new beige" for home staging and you'll meet 5 inspiring home stagers.

I hope you enjoy this issue of Staging Diva Dispatch. Please hit reply to this email and send me your questions or story ideas so that I can cover them in future issues of this newsletter or in the Home Staging Business Report.

Happy Summer!

Debra

Debra Gould, The Staging Diva®
President, Voice of Possibility™ Group Inc.

What Do You Have in Common With:

Nate Berkus, Barbara Barry and Vincente Wolf?

If you're like me, the thing you have in common with famous designers like Nate Berkus, Debbie Travis, Barbara Barry, Lynda Reeves and even Vincente Wolfe, is a lack of formal interior design training!

The list of notable designers without formal training is long, but I've chosen these few to make my point.

These folks have paid their dues and worked their way up over the years to:

  • Decorating homes around the world
  • Writing interior design books
  • Hosting TV shows
  • Winning design awards
  • Creating home decor product lines
  • And more.

They did it with talent and determination, not because they had an interior design degree— that's not what gave them credibility.

Too often I hear new or aspiring home stagers say that not having an interior design degree is what will hold them back.

Instant credibility might come to a lawyer with a Harvard degree but it doesn't work that way for home staging or interior design.

Assuming you have natural talent and you're willing to work to fulfilling your dream of making a living from your creativity, what will hold you back most is:

There are many Staging Diva Graduates who have interior design degrees but over 90% do not. I've introduced you to many of them in my blog and newsletters, like Donna Dazzo who has been a home stager for 5 years. She has appeared on shows like Million Dollar Listing New York and in the New York Times and Chicago Tribune!

I bet she never imagined that future when she was sitting behind a desk for 25 years working in financial services before being laid off at age 50!

nate berkus

Nate Berkus began working in interior design right out of high school. He went on to college and got degrees in French and Sociology and started his own design firm at the age of 24.

barbara barry

"My mother, an amazing woman and artist, has remained my most vibrant mentor. She raised me to believe in myself, teaching me through her example that style has nothing to do with money and everything to do with how you feel about yourself." Barbara Barry

Vincente Wolf

"When I started as an interior designer I had no training and no tools. Because of my dyslexia, going to school was really not the best option for me. I learned through experience and hard work." Vicente Wolf

Would You Renovate a House You're Renting?

One of the great things about owning your own home is that when you invest in renovations, you're increasing the value of your property. Eventually, when you sell (assuming your renovations are appealing to buyers) you'll make back the cost of what you put in.

But, let's say you were only renting your home. Would you put in a new bathroom, replace carpet, or repaint the home inside and out with colors of your choosing?

Most people would say no, unless the landlord is paying for it.

Thousands of home stagers make the equivalent mistake online when they invest their time building a blog on someone else's "property"!

Before you assume this doesn't apply to you, consider whether you have a blog on Blogspot, Active Rain or Wordpress.com. These are websites that you don't own so by continuing to blog on them, you're in effect giving them your content.

While they're great blogging platforms to get you started, before you spend weeks, months or years building up that blog, be aware that it really is like renovating a house you are only renting.

> Click here to learn why and 10 steps to fix your home staging blog.

Save the date for Staging Diva Dialog

Mark your calendar!
July 19, 7PM (eastern)

I'd love to answer your business questions and teach you about home staging! You can be a total beginner or an experienced stager, and you don't have to be one of my students to join Staging Diva Dialog.

> Learn how to be part of the next Staging Diva Dialog conference call.

Is Gray the New "Beige" for Home Staging?

Last month I shared my 5 favorite home staging neutrals and said that I rarely paint walls white or a whole home "beige."

I also talked about how the appropriate "neutral" palette for a particular home will vary depending on the target market and location, for example, a 5-bedroom home in a family neighborhood versus an urban loft.

Recently I had the pleasure of meeting a local builder and touring his latest property. He confidently told me that "earth tones are out and gray is in."

He certainly embraced that belief in all his choices of finishes and the way he staged that particular property. I wondered if my fellow home stagers would have the same reaction I did.

> Read more about the trouble with gray and share your feedback.

is gray the new beige?

Want to Make Home Staging Easier?

The information in these two volumes from the Staging Diva Ultimate collection will boost your confidence for your next client meeting and save you tons of time because you won't have to figure everything out yourself! Each of these guides is based on over 20 years experience decorating homes and what I've learned the hard way working with hundreds of staging and redesign clients. And they're both on sale during the Dive Into Summer Sale on now!

color guide for home stagers design guide for home stagers
"This saved me hundreds of hours. Within 45 minutes I had my own Staging Fan Deck put together. It's easier to carry, less daunting, and reinforces my professionalism and expertise!" (Leigh Olson, Velvet Plum)
> Learn more about the Staging Diva Ultimate Color Guide: The Easy Way to Pick Color For Home Staging Projects
"Full of fresh design insights, this comprehensive guide provides the recipe for success. A must-have for both new and experienced professionals!" (Isabelle Gelderblom, iDesign Home Staging)

> Learn more about the Staging Diva Ultimate Design Guide: Home Staging Tips, Tricks and Floor Plans

Hats Off to Directory of Home Stagers Members

Once you're a Staging Diva Directory of Home Stagers member, it's easy for agents and home sellers to hire you! PLUS, members enjoy F'REE project referrals, notification of guest speaking opportunities and media interviews!

Congratulations to these 5 Staging Diva Graduates who joined or renewed! Visit their Directory Profiles and get inspired:

home stager
Donna Dazzo,
New York
Year 5!
Designed to Appeal

Donna says:

"The Staging Diva Directory of Home Stagers is always one of the top 3 sources of traffic to my own website."

home stager

Kay Keeton,
Texas
Year 4!
Star Stager

Extra Benefits for
Profile Listings!

You can have a free brochure produced by Staging Diva for your company when you have a full year Profile Listing.

brochure sample front brochure sample back

Sample front & back of custom brochure

Plus, you'll get a download link on your Directory Profile Page so your customers can access your company brochure instantly!

Download Brochure link

Sample download button

Social Media Links!

You can add these Social Media icons to your Directory Profile and link them to your accounts on these sites:

Social Icons for Directory

Sample icons

Social Media links are a F'REE perk with an annual commitment, or $75 on the quarterly plan.

Texas home stagerPeggy Wilcox, Texas
Simply Swanky Home Staging & Interior Redesign

NY home stager

Patricia Saponaro, New York
On Point Home Staging

Oaklahoma home stager

Liz Murray, Arizona
Renaissance Home Staging & Redesign

Be The Top Directory Listing!

When you're the first stager to join the Directory for your areas, your listing will always come out on top in a Directory search, no matter how many people join after you!

If there are others listed above you for certain cities or neighborhoods, your rank will move up if any of them leaves the directory.

> How to get your own Profile Page

> How to get a Mini Listing

The sooner you join, the higher up on the list you are for your locations.

About Staging Diva

Debra Gould has been a serial entrepreneur since 1989. She is president of Voice of Possibility Group Inc. with a mission of helping entrepreneurs create their ideal businesses and lifestyles.

An internationally recognized home staging expert, Debra created the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program with 7,000 students in the U.S., Canada and 20 other countries. She is the author of 5 guides, offers a Directory of Home Stagers to help home sellers and agents locate stagers in their area and is frequently profiled in the media.

Direct inquiries to: info@stagingdiva.com

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